Lebanese Ministry of Information
Despite its small population and geographical size, Lebanon plays an influential role in the production of information and media in the Arab world. Lebanon’s media is often seen as the most liberal in the region as the Lebanese press laws do not restrict freedom of expression and the state does not control media outlets. The most promising investment opportunities within the Media industry spans across several fields: Television Broadcasting, Advertising, Production and Post-Production, Digital Media, Publishing and Music. The Lebanese capital enjoys a powerful press that publishes scores of newspapers and magazines in Arabic, French, English and Armenian. Like most capitals, Beirut boasts a vibrant and flourishing art scene that offers diverse events all year round, from grand exhibition openings to numerous theater and film making productions, cultural spaces, music scenes and even architectural designs. Its many advantages make Beirut a natural venue for international, regional and local conferences and conventions. The capital was nominated by the United Nations as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1999 and by the UNESCO as World Book Capital in 2009.
With an outstanding level of programs and a wide range of specializations, Beirut serves as an educational center for the region; it is a popular destination for foreign students and has for the past years exported a highly skilled and well trained workforce to neighboring countries. The pillars upon which the ministry of education has founded its philosophy are: education based on equal opportunity, quality education to build a knowledge society, education to contribute to social integration and economic development. Lebanon has both public and private schools. Lebanon education comprises of primary education, intermediate education, secondary education, technical and vocational education and higher education. The country has many accredited universities, some of which are internationally recognized. The major Arabic language public university is the University of Lebanon. Other famous and well recognized universities include: The American University of Beirut (AUB), St Joseph University (Jesuit), Lebanese American University (LAU) and Balamand. Latest surveys indicate a literacy rate exceeding 90% amongst adults and 98.7% among youth.
